Christmas in Mato
by Aerysa
Summary: (AU Story; A Demon's Demand spin-off) Living in Mato, Misaki discovers that they do not celebrate Christmas and decides to bring the festive Earth holiday to her loved ones.


Dedicated to _of fan and fic_, since this was your story idea to begin with!

Clearly missed the mark in terms of timing, but I figured late would be better than never. It didn't undergo the usual stringent editing I give my work due to the time constraints, so if you notice any mistakes, let me know!

The story is a spin-off of my alt-universe story called _A Demon's Demand_. Like writing fanfiction of fanfiction... Lol, kind of strange.

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**Christmas in Mato**

"I'm finished. Please excuse me," Misaki said, gently wiping her lips before placing the dinner napkin next to her empty plate.

Immediately after, she pushed her chair back and left the table. She hadn't given Hei a chance to respond before she disappeared from the dining room, leaving behind a confused and petulant husband. This was the fifth time she had done this in the last few days; leaving him abruptly without so much as a simple kiss.

Whenever he tried to ask her what was so urgent, she would brush aside his questions with an airy wave of her hand. She was definitely up to something, but he couldn't figure out what. All of it had started a week ago when she asked if she could re-decorate their castle. Readily agreeing, he didn't see the need, but it had been a harmless request. After all, he wanted his wife to feel welcome and comfortable in their home.

Staring at the dining room door in the distance even though she hadn't exited through it, Hei finally grunted. He continued to consume his meal as he knew how stubborn his wife could be. A week had already passed and nothing he tried could pry the secrets from her lips; he wasn't going to find out what it was until she was ready to share it with him.

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Only going as far as the foyer of Midnight Castle, a smile graced her lips as Misaki knew Hei was upset with her. He had been moody all week because of her secret, but she disregarded it. There was a good reason for keeping secrets because she wanted him to experience the surprise. It was hard to keep track of time in Mato since the weather was so mild, yet she suddenly realized it was December one day.

No one had shown any excitement, continuing with their regular tasks. It made her wonder if they celebrated Christmas, or any holiday for that matter; the answer obvious when she happened to question Ricardo about it and all he responded with was a blank stare. Eventually he had cleared his throat, realizing what rudeness he was showing to ignore her question and in turn asked her what it was.

Though she had explained to him at the time, he only replied with a mild "oh" which was when she made up her mind. If there was no Christmas in Mato, then she would just bring it to them. She quickly enlisted the aid of their butler, also swearing him to secrecy at the same time. It was something she wanted to share with the entire castle. The second person she had enlisted into the secret mission was their chef, Genji. A party wouldn't be an enjoyable one if there wasn't any food.

It had seemed such a great idea at the beginning but she quickly discovered that she had two major problems; firstly being that she had never been a party person so she didn't know where to start with the planning; and secondly that resources in Mato were not as easily accessible as they were on Earth. There was no major Mato department store that she could run to with a credit card. She wasn't even sure if what she wanted for Christmas decorations would have a Mato equivalent.

After muddling over the issue, she finally approached a third co-conspirator to their planning group – their head gardener, Saitou. They would just have to make do with the closest equivalent and their extensive gardens seemed to be their best option. She could hardly run around wild out there, destroying his precious work. He wouldn't say anything she knew, but it just wasn't something she could do.

Making her way to Ricardo's room up front, she knocked on the door. He opened it for her and quickly ushered her to the seat at the desk. After she was seated, he came to stand in front of it where he could face her. This wasn't the first time they had met this way, but Misaki always got a kick out of the situation; feeling like a school mistress getting ready to discipline a misbehaving student. Regardless of the situation, he stood at attention with utterly straight posture and an equally straight face.

"How are the preparations coming along?" she questioned. "Is there anything we need more help with?"

"No Mistress. At the moment, we're on schedule. Genji has checked the pantry to take stock of available supplies. From it, he has already decided on the party menu he will prepare when the time comes. Saitou's work is already in progress for what you've requested."

"And the presents?"

"Everything is okay with these final modifications to Mistress Yin's gift. Junpei is certain it will be a success," Ricardo answered. "I've kept the other items hidden away after they were wrapped."

"Perfect. Then I shall go check on Saitou since he has the most work at the moment. I'm sure I could bully him into allowing me to help," she said with a grin.

"As you wish."

There was no change of expression on his face despite her words and Misaki clucked her tongue in displeasure. Despite the length of time she had been here, the only instance she had seen his expression change was the day of her marriage to Hei. Beyond that, he was as stone-faced and uninteresting as he had been since day one. Finally chuckling to herself, she exited the room, recalling one of her initial days in Mato where Kanami had been annoyed that she had been compared to the stalwart butler.

Stepping into the back gardens, she was certain Saitou would be in his cottage, slaving away over her unreasonable demands. He had already treated her to his utter disbelief when she first approached him; but of course quickly changing his tune when he realized who was asking. Smiling as she remembered that encounter, Misaki could say whole-heartedly that she liked him and all their servants.

He was such an honest man; everything he was thinking showed on his face, whether he realized it or not. Yet beneath that simple honesty of his was a loyal and faithful man who did everything within his power to support his master and mistress, in spite of how far-fetched her ideas might be. Willingly, he parted with his prized blossoms for the sake of her plan.

Enjoying the sunshine as she strolled towards her destination, Misaki finally paused and realized there was one other aspect to the party she needed to check on first. Stopping in her tracks, she decided she would need to deal with that before she went in search of her gardener. He would be hard at work regardless of when she went to join him.

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Driving the akusha at a leisurely pace, November smiled as he glanced over at his companions. Kanami and July were both gazing out the side window where she was trying to answer the boy's rapid-fire questions. It was the first time he had been away from their castle and the new sights were exciting for him as he pointed at this and that, wanting to know what everything was. At this point, he was even a complete handful for his mother.

_Works out better that way,_ he thought to himself.

He hadn't said much about their trip besides asking Kanami to pack enough clothes for their two-week trip. Since he had sprung it on her out of the blue, her immediate concern was July. That worry was easily soothed when he said that July would be going with them. She still looked at him questioningly since he didn't elaborate, so he told her there were a few citizens they needed to visit.

It wasn't a lie because he was going to visit them. He just didn't tell her their ultimate destination was not within their state. She had made the trip to Midnight Castle on multiple occasions as she and Misaki made regular visits. In order to keep the plan a surprise, he changed the route that they would be taking. With July's extra presence to keep her occupied, she had yet to suspect a thing.

The suggestion had been made by Misaki a few days ago when she contacted him about her secret plan at Midnight Castle. Knowing that his family had history with the human world, she asked if he knew what Christmas was. When he replied in the affirmative, she was delighted and quickly filled him in on her plan to bring the festive holiday to their castle. She concluded by welcoming their family to attend.

Quickly agreeing, he promised he would keep it a secret from both Kanami and July. When their connection was broken, he himself felt a bubble of excitement well up within him. Though he knew what it was, it was one of those situations where he never experienced it for himself. He had heard many stories, but it was something his ancestors chose not to adopt from their human heritage. Now he could participate in it firsthand and share in that experience with his wife and son.

"_November?"_

_Speak of the devil,_ he thought to himself before replying to Misaki.

"_How's the journey so far?"_

"It has been smooth," he answered. "She doesn't suspect a thing since we're taking a different route with a couple detours along the way."

"_Great! I'm sure July is keeping her busy."_

"Yes, but it helps since she's distracted. She has no time to question why we're going where we are. Besides, I'm sure July will be excited at the surprise of seeing you."

"_Me too,"_ Misaki admitted. _"He has never been to Midnight Castle before. I had Ricardo prepare our biggest room for the three of you so you won't feel cramped for space."_

"Thanks Misaki. I'm really looking forward to this!"

"_Not a problem. The more, the merrier! Anyways, I have to go. There's still so much to do! Contact me if anything comes up, but I'll check in with you at a later date."_

"See you there."

With the return of his focus on the external surroundings, he realized that it was suddenly very quiet within the vehicle. Turning his head to glance at his wife, his eyes widened in surprise as July was yawning groggily, snuggling up against Kanami. Her hand rested lightly on his back, but she turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Mm… That was fast," he said.

"I think the overstimulation is catching up to him. He'll be at it again in a couple hours."

"True, but until then…"

He smiled as he took his hand off of the wheel for a brief moment to give hers a gentle squeeze. Silence was quickly becoming a precious commodity to them. As July's comfort level in the castle grew, it seemed the background volume of it had grown exponentially with it. He was becoming a much better speaker with practice, though moments of hyper excitement still brought out the speedy slur of words.

"Tired?"

"No, not at all," she replied with a grin.

She had placed her free hand on his thigh before leaning across the middle distance to rest her head against his shoulder. In response, he could only smile indulgently since he was still preoccupied with driving. Despite her ignorance to their true purpose for this journey, they were making steady progress. It would only be a few more days before they arrived.

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Knocking on the door, it was opened a moment later and Misaki grinned as she stared at Saitou. His eyes had widened for a moment before he quickly dropped his gaze. Though it wasn't the first time for her to visit, he always seemed equally surprised each time she came. Despite her presence, he still stood blocking her entry, until she gently cleared her throat.

"Ah! C – Come in," he said, realizing his mistake.

"Thanks. Now, let me see how your work is coming along."

"Yes Mistress."

Even as he said that, she could see it quite clearly. The worktable was covered with tools and flowers, his bouquets at various stages as he pieced them together. As gifts for each of the servants, she had requested that he put together a small thank-you posy, which meant he would to make around four dozen in total; this on top of the other decorations she had asked for.

Despite the extra work, she could see that he still put his heart and soul into it. She picked up his colorful creation which was neatly tied together with a red ribbon, lifting it to her nose. Smiling at the fragrant sweetness, she glanced up to find him watching her. When their gazes met, he blushed before glancing away.

"They're beautiful," she praised him. "How are the wreath and flower balls coming along?"

"I haven't started yet. I wanted to finish all of these first so I can concentrate on those."

"I see. Well in that case, where can I help?"

"Eh?" he asked in surprise. "W – What do you mean?"

"Surely there is some task I could help you with which would make this easier for you."

Inwardly giggling, she never failed to be amused by his reaction to her offer to assist him. Each time she asked, he was as surprised as he had been the first time – like they had never been through this exact scenario before. Staring at her with a horrified expression on his face, he finally roused from his stupor when she raised an eyebrow.

"This isn't right. It just isn't right," he muttered.

Sighing softly, resigned to his fate, he pointed out each pile of flowers he had on the table. Carefully, he had sorted out the ones he wanted to use in the mini bouquet. The next step was to choose them individually to be placed as part of it. He asked her to do the initial collecting so that each set would be ready for trimming and bundling with the ribbon.

They worked together on this first step so he had something to start with. When there were a couple spares, he started on the trimming. Misaki watched as he deftly handled his cutters, snipping off the extra length of stem so each of the ends sat flush with the others. At the same time, he had rearranged the flowers so each set looked exactly the same.

She had seen the result of his work on many occasions as he was the one who prepared the fresh bouquets that decorated the castle on a regular basis, yet to actually see how skilled and efficient he was – she was impressed. It only took him a matter of seconds to have a bundle ready for the ribbon when she was certain she would have trimmed the thing into short numbs before they were presentable.

"What are you doing now?" she asked as she watched him sprinkle something into a bowl of water.

"This is used on cut flowers to keep them fresh longer. I use them on each bouquet that is prepared for the castle. They will have to sit in these bowls until we're ready to hand them out or they'll wither."

"I see…"

There was so much that she didn't know about something that seemed as simple as preparing a bouquet. If it was her, she would have just cut what she wanted and dunked it in water. Yet Saitou had carefully trimmed both the length of the stem and the excess foliage before he tied the ribbon around it. That was another aspect he was well-practiced in. It didn't look like the bundle moved at all as he swiftly held it together with a perfectly tied bow. Overall, she was extremely glad she had asked him for help.

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Glancing around the castle, Hei was confused by Misaki's ideas of decorating. There were long lengths of red cloth wrapped around the entire length of the banister, and balls of flowers hanging from each major post. Unlit candles or bowls of fruit seemed to occupy every nook and cranny. There was even a large circle of flowers that decorated the back of the front door. Just looking at all the work involved, he was a little worried she was working Saitou too hard if she wanted the castle like this on a regular basis.

He had been trying to find her all day since breakfast, but he had no idea where she was hiding. She was somewhere in the castle, ready to ignore him because she would reply that she was busy when he tried to ask her to meet him. Feeling grumpy as he headed downstairs, he was surprised when his stomach began to grumble in response to the delicious smells that teased his nose.

The entire morning had passed without him noticing. It was no wonder that he was hungry – it was lunchtime. With that thought in mind, he headed to the dining room. The temptation was too great and he knew Misaki would come running as well when her nose caught scent of the tasty meal waiting for them. Smiling for the first time that day, he entered the dining room; only to stop in his tracks as every face in the room stared back at him.

"W – What is going on?" he questioned as every servant in the castle was gathered.

"Come quickly," his wife replied with a grin, motioning for him to come forward.

As he walked towards her, he saw her standing in front of everyone with Yin to one side of her and Ricardo on the other. His eyes caught sight of the feast which covered the whole dining table and they widened in surprise. He was completely clueless as to what was going on, but it seemed he wasn't the only one as the servants were equally confused.

"Now that we're all here, let me explain what is going on," Misaki announced. "I invited everyone here to join in celebrating a holiday tradition we participate in on Earth called Christmas. It happens every year in December where we gather together to enjoy a feast and exchange presents."

Waving her hand, she motioned for Saitou to come forward from where he was hidden by the side entrance. With him, he pushed a cart that had bowls of flowers covering its surfaces. He placed it in front of his mistress, to be graced by her smile before he stepped off to the side, next to Ricardo.

"Now then, it's not very much, but I wanted to present to each of you a small gift as a token of my thanks this year. As I've slowly begun to get to know each of you, I've come to appreciate the hard work that you've put in for us here. If you'll line up…"

Hei watched the entire process feeling his heart swell with pride. Their reactions ranged from disbelief, even as they joined the line, to grateful adoration. Each of them happily accepted their posy as Misaki shook their hands while giving them individual encouragement. Next in line, they thanked him profusely before ending their journey forward with words and greetings from Yin.

It took several minutes for them to complete the process before they were once again standing face to face, the servants proudly holding onto the physical reminder that they were all important in this household. A few eyes strayed longingly to the feast and Hei could feel his own join them. Even so, there was still a bit more to Misaki's ceremony as she called her three co-conspirators to the front. No one was surprised to see Ricardo, Saitou and Genji proudly standing next to her.

"By now, it's quite obvious that I had help," Misaki said with a chuckle. "So I want to take this time to thank these three gentlemen who helped make this event possible."

Turning to face them, she started with Ricardo. She held her hands out to him and he responded by lifting his own. Tightly grasping them between hers, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. As she pulled away, she was pleased to see his eyes widen slightly, his expression relaxing. Repeating the process with Saitou, the gardener blushed bashfully in response to her thanks. Lastly, Genji stood taller, delighted that their mistress had publicly acknowledged his work.

Standing on the other end, she was about to announce that they could dig in, but wasn't given that chance when Hei's stomach rumbled a loud complaint. Quickly, he pressed his hand to it, but it didn't diminish the noise or alleviate it. As Misaki started laughing, so did everyone else and all he could do was shrug his shoulders helplessly. He was starving.

"That's all I wanted to say anyways," Misaki teased. "Please help yourself to the food! I know Genji will want everything to be cleared."

A few straggled forward to partake of the feast while others motioned for their master to join them. He tried to protest though his body had been doing the talking for him, but they had been bold enough to drag him together with them. Others still had once again approached Misaki, deeply grateful for her gift. All in all, it had been a smashing success as they enjoyed the time of celebration and relaxation as a united group.

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Turning onto the drive that led to Midnight Castle, November grinned before he softly hummed a cheerful tune. It was amazing how perfectly things had worked out as both Kanami and July had fallen asleep partway through the day's journey. She wouldn't have any warning before she miraculously found herself at their final destination. The lengthy trip had taken a toll on July as he didn't have the chance to play with his toys like he normally did. His complaining had only led to him wearing out himself and his mother.

Gently traversing the remaining distance, November didn't want them to wake until they were stopped in front of the castle. Pulling the vehicle to a complete stop, he powered it off before shifting in his seat to stare at the castle through the window of the akusha. It was going to be the first time that he actually stayed overnight, usually only staying long enough for Kanami to gather her things before they departed.

Knowing that Christmas was a large affair on Earth, he was filled with anticipation at the plans Misaki would have made. Pressing his hand to his wife's shoulder, he shook her lightly to rouse her from her slumbers. Yawning quietly, she slowly blinked her eyes before glancing at him, still not noticing where they were. When he smiled, she easily returned it.

"Are we there?" she asked.

"Yes, see for yourself."

Since he pointed out the window, she gazed in that direction and suddenly gasped, fully recognizing where they were. She couldn't speak, not knowing what to say as she glanced back at him with wide eyes. It was an utter surprise and he instinctively pulled her into his embraces since she was giving him such an adorable expression.

"W – What's going on?" she inquired. "Why are we at Midnight Castle?"

"Because Misaki told me she had a surprise for both you and July."

"Misaki?!"

"Yes. I knew you would recognize the path if I went the same way we normally do, so I purposely took a different route. It worked out to kill two birds with one stone," November explained. "Now we should wake July so we don't keep her waiting. She's expecting us."

Upon saying this, November slowly released her and she did as he requested. The sleepy child was woken from his slumbers before they exited the vehicle. As he gazed up at the impressive building, he didn't have any words to say. Stepping around the akusha, November slipped his hand around Kanami's free one before they headed up the front steps.

After knocking, the door was answered by Ricardo in a matter of seconds, quickly welcoming them to the castle. As they stepped inside, it looked like there was a light show going on. Numerous candles floated in the air with their hostess at the center of it all. Her back was towards them as she directed each one to its proper location, after they had been lit collectively. When she was finished, she slowly turned to them with a big grin on her face.

"Welcome to Midnight Castle!" she exclaimed, though two of the three guests had been here on multiple occasions.

"Misaki… What's going on?" Kanami asked, her eyes taking in all the modifications that had been made.

"I'll explain when the time is right. For now, if you want to freshen up from your journey, I'll have Ricardo show you to your room."

Both the majestic size of the castle and Misaki's unexpected show had momentarily stunned July into silence. Yet slowly, he realized that he was suddenly seeing his mother's best friend. Excitedly, he squirmed within her hold, wanting to be let down. Mindlessly, she complied with his wishes, still trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

"Saki!"

Grinning happily, Misaki easily caught the boy who had suddenly bulleted forward to throw himself at her. As she lifted him up, he threw his arms around her neck to give her a hug. Lightly returning his sign of affection, he pulled away so he could glance up at her. A smile lit up his face and Misaki was glad she thought to include them as it would be his first Christmas.

"Welcome to Midnight Castle, July," she said.

She was about to say more when there was another knock on the front door. As Misaki glanced at November, he shrugged his shoulders in response since he had no idea who it might be. There was nothing that could be done but for Ricardo to answer it, though she couldn't imagine who it might possibly be as there were no regular visitors to their castle.

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Working in the main floor study, Hei found that his concentration was broken by the sound of a ruckus taking place outside. A frown pinched his features, worried about Misaki's safety, but the expression was replaced by one of curiosity when he vaguely heard her voice. Putting down his brush, he left the study to go investigate.

Stepping into the hallway, he could hear multiple voices, but he couldn't imagine who his wife would be talking to. It wasn't until he stepped beyond the central stairwell that he finally stopped in his tracks. Much to his astonishment, his home was being occupied by not just one, but two clan leaders of the neighboring states.

Misaki's back was towards him so she didn't notice him yet the volume of noise in the front entryway dropped to a hushed whisper when Oreille and November spotted him. Slowly, his wife turned to see what had distracted them. Spotting him in the distance, a broad smile blossomed on her face as she quickly approached him, latching her arm around his as she pulled him forward to greet their guests.

"Did we disrupt you?" she asked.

"It's alright. What are you doing here?"

"Misaki invited us over for a Christmas party," answered Kanami.

"And I invited myself!" Oreille added cheerfully.

"It wasn't my intention to purposely leave you out, but I should have known nothing escapes your notice."

"Christmas party? I thought we had one already."

"That was for the servants," Misaki replied. "This is our main event!"

"Oh…"

"Now if everyone will follow me! We have snacks prepared for your enjoyment."

Still latched onto her husband, Misaki hummed quietly while she led the way to the dining room in the back. The doors had been left open since they knew July would have problems with it. Crossing the threshold, she suddenly stopped, pulling Hei to a halt with her. When he glanced at her, she smiled prettily before she leaned in to press a kiss on his lips. He couldn't help staring at her in disbelief as they were in front of guests.

"W – What?"

"Mistletoe – or homemade mistletoe," she explained, pointing upwards.

"Huh?"

Looking up, he saw a small sprig of plant stuck on the wall above the doorway. It appeared to be a bunch of long leaves and white berries tied together. In his eyes, they had no significance, but clearly did for Misaki. She went on to explain the holiday tradition that should a man and woman meet under mistletoe, they were obliged to kiss.

Following behind them was Kanami who was carrying July. As she stepped into the doorway, she pressed a kiss to her son's forehead. He giggled before he copied her by kissing her cheek. The remaining two of the group were November and Oreille. He gestured for her to enter first. Tradition or otherwise, he did not welcome the idea of kissing the Demoness of Vision. She just shrugged in response before doing as asked.

Once they were inside, Kanami placed July on the floor and he stared wide-eyed at the dining table which was covered in an assortment of snacks. Excitedly, he rushed forward, only to abruptly stop dead in his tracks. Giving a small cry, he was racing back to his mother's side. Accustomed to the friendly smile of their butler April, it was his first time meeting the stone-faced butler of Midnight Castle.

Regardless of the boy's response, it hadn't fazed him. Instead, he gave their guests a sweeping glance before he turned towards the food. Ricardo had picked up an empty plate and was quickly filling it with different treats. When he finished, he placed it on a tray before stepping to the side to fill a glass. Bearing his gifts, he approached the child who was hiding behind his mother's legs.

Kneeling in front of him, Ricardo held out the tray, waiting for him to take the offered snacks. July was poking his head out as he eyed the food in front of him, weighing out his options as his eyes strayed to the face of the man carrying it. Finally, he timidly stepped forward to grab at the food, one item in each hand. He tried the shokoto first and beamed happily at the taste of the sweet treat. After quickly finishing that off, he tasted the piece of gyuzu in his other hand.

Both of the snacks met his approval and he was easily polishing off everything on the plate while Kanami could only shake her head in despair, even as she chuckled. Like any child, treats were the easiest way to win his favour. He even had a personal servant at his disposal as Ricardo remained where he was knelt in front of him.

Unbeknownst to any of them, they couldn't see that his face had relaxed at the sight of the boy happily devouring his food. The idea for including the shokoto was his since it was a special treat that was only made in their state. Since July had warmed up to the man, Misaki motioned for them to help themselves as well.

By the time his mother had returned to his side, it was to find that he had cleaned up everything and was in the process of consuming the glass of fresh gyuku Ricardo had thought to bring along. As he enjoyed that, Kanami couldn't help grinning. She was certain she knew exactly where that had been provided from and she was reminded that the boy had never met his grandparents before. Perhaps it was a suggestion she should make to November as he also had yet to meet her parents.

Watching as they enjoyed the food placed on the table, Misaki quietly approached her husband. He smiled indulgently as he bit into his piece of shokoto. She whispered to him that she would be back momentarily and when he tilted his head in question, she answered him by explaining that she would go up to get Yin. She was still resting in her room and Misaki was certain she would want to reconnect with Kanami, now that they were here in their home.

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Once everyone had finished gorging on the food, they had settled down into the chairs that had been set up in the dining room where they didn't have to go far. Misaki nodded to Ricardo who stood off to the side, waiting for the sign. Disappearing from the room, he returned with his arms full of gifts which had been wrapped. Unfortunately, there was no colorful, festive paper and Misaki settled for plain paper, only able to add a ribbon as the most decorative aspect. Except for Hei and Yin, the rest eyed his movements, wondering what that was for. He set the pile of boxes next to Misaki before disappearing from the room once more.

"W – What is all that?" Kanami asked.

"Presents! Another aspect to this holiday is to exchange gifts that we have gotten for each other. Now, I apologize in advance to Oreille since I didn't think you would be joining us. I didn't have the time to get anything for you."

"That's quite alright since I invited myself to the festivities," she replied with a smile.

"If you say so… Now, to start with our special guest, these boxes are for July."

As she held out a stack of boxes, he wandered forward with a curious and excited expression on his face. He didn't understand what she meant exactly, but understood enough that they were for him. Since it was too much for him to carry, she set them down in front of her and he sat down happily to rip into it.

The first box contained a bucket and hand shovel she had collected from Saitou, thinking he would enjoy it on those outdoor trips he made into the garden. After all, she had heard numerous stories from Kanami regarding his adventures with his father where they would dig around for insects. He wasn't certain what to do with it, but he happily clanged them together to make a racket.

The second box contained a ball she had taken from the stash of Hei's childhood toys that they had stored away since there were no children in their household – yet. She figured there were enough toys in that box that their child wouldn't be deprived because there was one less ball to play with. Seeing that it was different from the one he had at home, he squealed with delight before tackling the last box.

Saving the best for last, Misaki knew his favourite thing to do indoors was to stack his blocks and build things with them. In the box that Ricardo had pointed her to, she had found a set of ten blocks that were the colors of the rainbow, rather than the plain brown ones she knew he had at home. Seeing them in front of him, he eagerly pulled each one out, laying them to the side until he held the last one in his hand.

His face was lit up with a blinding smile as he glanced up at Misaki, proudly holding his new possessions in his hand. Jumping up from the ground, he raced to his parents to show off his new toys. Kanami was speechless at her generosity, but November calmed him down long enough to remind him that he had yet to thank Misaki for the gift. This sent him flying in the opposite direction where he launched himself at her legs, hugging her tightly.

"So you like your gift?" she inquired lightly as she rested her hand on his head.

Poking his head up, he nodded enthusiastically. Grinning in response, she told him to go play with his toys which he did eagerly. He didn't waste any time with his new blocks as he carefully decided which order he wanted to stack them in, now that they were each different. Misaki beamed at Kanami and November, and they could only thank her for her show of thoughtfulness.

Next, she handed a number of boxes to both November and Kanami. They looked at each other before opening them, to find that she had new clothes made up for them. She had two sets of clothes made for them, both matching in terms of color scheme. It was all she could think of that was suitable since there were no toys or gadgets for adults, like there were on Earth.

"What…?"

"Matching outfits, since I remember how much you enjoyed your first date with November," Misaki teased.

"Eh…"

Kanami blushed even as that was now ancient history, knowing exactly what she was referring to – days before she was even married to him. It was the first time November had given her a dress as payment for her services in babysitting July. She still wore that dress from time to time for its sentimental value, but he had later told her that he had purposely matched his own outfit to hers that evening.

"You didn't have to," November said.

"Nonsense! That's why it's a gift! And now… Onto the best part…"

On cue, Ricardo reappeared in the room carrying a large item that was not wrapped in the traditional sense with paper, but was covered by a large cloth. He set it next to Yin and actually smiled as he stepped away from it. She looked at it questioningly as Misaki mentioned that this was their gift to her. Since everyone but July was watching with anticipation, she pulled the cloth away. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before, gasping in surprise.

"It's a wheelchair!" exclaimed Misaki. "At least, our own version of it… It gave us such a difficult time getting the design right, but Junpei worked wonders. You'll recall I told you about it before…"

"Yes of course…"

It was exactly what it sounded like – a chair with wheels on it. Accustomed to the ease of access on Earth, Misaki thought it was such a shame that Yin was confined to her room like she normally was. She would still need help in being pushed around, but rather than carrying her everywhere, this would make things so much easier.

Since they had to build one from scratch, her first consideration was whether they should go with a blacksmith or a carpenter, eventually deciding on the latter. It would be easier to cut out the shape of wheels rather than have him forge something from scratch. Even then, they had a tough time getting it to roll properly, finally finding a way to separate the wheel from the axle so that it could actually move freely.

"Try it out," Misaki urged.

Complying with her wish, Yin took a step towards it with Ricardo watching her progress. She was able to move small distances unassisted, with Mikhail's approval that it was acceptable practice. As she seated herself on the customized seat cushion, Ricardo stepped behind it to demonstrate its abilities. He pulled backwards before making a circuit around the dining room, returning her to her original location within their circle.

"It's fantastic! Thank you so much, Misaki!"

"I'm glad you like it. Now, onto our final treat before supper…"

She motioned for them to join her as she vacated her seat. As she led the way to the back garden, Ricardo followed along, pushing Yin in her new chair. They stepped out onto the terrace to find that one of the nearby trees had been decorated. Strips of fabric were draped around the branches with small bunches of berries or flowers dangling from them as decorations. Around the trunk was a ring of lit candles that added to the rays of moonlight shining upon them.

"It doesn't have the same feel as it would at home," Misaki lamented, "since it's a different type of tree, but one of the special activities during this time is to decorate an evergreen tree. I did the best I could."

"It still looks beautiful," Kanami said.

"I agree," added Oreille. "You really outdid yourself with this, both inside and out."

"Thanks! The only thing missing is snow…"

She glanced at November and gave him a wink. He grinned in response as they had already spoken about this aspect of the party. Waving his hand, he wasn't able to recreate snow, but he did the next best thing. A shower of tiny ice slivers floated down from the sky, glimmering in the night as it caught the light from the moon and reflected it, bringing out sparkles of color.

"Wow! That's so pretty!" Kanami whispered.

She turned to her husband with a broad grin, knowing that it was his doing. Since no one was watching them, their gazes still focused upwards, she gave him a gentle kiss as a reward for his part. The entire time that he had been plotting with Misaki regarding this evening, she had been completely in the dark. Everything that had happened was a surprise to her.

"It was the least I could do for her after she told me about it," he answered, giving her a quick hug. "There wasn't much I had to do but bring you and July here."

"Thank you. I enjoyed this very much."

"Me too."

xxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxx

Their evening together had ended after supper as that was all the activity Misaki had planned for the day. She had covered all of the major aspects that they would have back home. Even as they finished their meal, they stayed in the dining room, each one of them taking the time to share what their favorite aspect had been. Eventually, they had decided to call it a night when July began yawning, his eyes becoming droopy with sleepiness.

The three hosts stayed in the dining room together while Ricardo showed their guests to their rooms. He was going to return to escort Yin back to her room, along with her new wheelchair. Considering all the troubles they had for recreating one, Misaki thought it would be too much for her to request a second one; though that had been her original idea, with one left on each floor of the castle. When Ricardo returned for Yin, Hei and Misaki lingered behind.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for organizing this – for both us and the servants," Hei said with a smile.

"Mm, well don't thank me just yet…"

"Hm?"

"If you didn't notice, I missed someone when it came to the presents. I haven't given you yours," Misaki answered.

"I don't need anything."

Rather than replying to that, Misaki just smiled as she stood up and grabbed his hand. Rising from the chair as she tugged on it, he complied with her wishes, easily playing along with his wife's demands. She latched herself onto his arm as she had done earlier that day before they headed upstairs. Hei couldn't imagine what it might be as they headed to their bedroom.

As they stopped in front of their room door, Misaki grinned before she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. Before he could question what she was doing, she pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss. Eventually pulling away from him, she smiled and pointed upwards. Reminded of their moment at the dining room door, he found himself staring at a similar sprig of greenery.

"Our personal mistletoe," Misaki whispered. "Come on."

She pulled him into the room and asked him to wait while she went to get his gift. Sitting down on the couch, she had disappeared into the dressing area of their room. He could not imagine what she had hidden there as they shared the room, but somehow, she had managed to keep her gift away from his eyes the entire time. Curious to find out what it was exactly, he sat forward, anticipating her return.

When she did, it was to see that she had changed out of her earlier outfit. A long cloak was wrapped around her, held together with ribbon ties. She grinned as she stepped towards him and he met her halfway, not quite understanding what it was exactly. Nothing was in her hands that he could see, though one of them remained hidden beneath her wrap.

"Untie the ribbon," she instructed.

He did. When she let go of the wrap, it dropped to the floor around her feet and Hei's eyes widened in response. Beneath it, she wasn't wearing anything – at least, she might as well not have been… She was wearing a dress, though he hesitated to call it that as the garment was completely transparent and he could see her naked body beneath it.

Chuckling in response, Misaki slowly stepped forward to wrap her arms around his neck, pleased by his reaction. They didn't have anything known as lingerie in Mato, but that didn't mean she couldn't fix that fact, just like she had with the wheelchair. Taking one of the dresses from her closet, she had chosen one with the simplest design and sheerest overlay, and asked one of the maids to remove the lining.

The poor girl's eyes had nearly popped out of her head at the instructions, even as a blush blossomed on her cheeks. Clearly unable to understand such a request, she still did as she was told. Once it was finished, Misaki had placed it back in the closet, knowing Hei would never go through her clothes. The only thing she could think of to offer him as a gift was herself.

If she was still on Earth, this whole idea might as well have come from the moon, but she actually welcomed it now that she was on Mato. With her marriage to Hei, she had grown comfortable with her sexuality as he never failed to appreciate her in that regards. He was still the one who usually initiated their lovemaking, so this time she thought she would do the seducing.

"Mm… So what do you think of your gift?" she questioned, brushing her lips against his. "I have nothing to offer, but me."

His response was a small grunt before his lips crushed against hers, holding her tightly against him. They kissed passionately before he finally swept her off of her feet and carried her to their bed. Smiling as she glanced up at him, he quickly joined her and Misaki sighed with pleasure. And thus, the remainder of their Christmas evening was spent celebrating in the love they had for each other.

xxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxx

Reused some of the terminology from the previous story, so if you don't recall what it is... I don't blame you! I had to look it up myself lol.

akusha = car  
shokoto = sugar cookie treats (from the visit to Carmine)  
gyuzu = cheese  
gyuku = milk


End file.
